Habits. In flight, herons stretch their long legs straight out behind them and curl their heads between their shoulders. Cranes, storks, and ibises fly with their necks extended. Herons usually nest and roost in flocks, but they hunt food alone. Their nesting places are called heronries. The nests consist of loose, crude masses of sticks built in treetops or in bushes. The female lays three to six eggs. Young herons are helpless for a few weeks after they hatch. Their parents carry food to the young birds until they can fly.

In search of food, the heron wades along the shores of streams with a stately stride, silent and alone. Sometimes the bird may stand for a long time with its head drawn between its shoulders. It appears to be asleep, but it is patiently waiting for fish, frogs, crayfish, and other small animals. As soon as it sees its prey, the heron makes a lightning dart and catches the victim in its spearlike bill.

American herons. The largest American heron is the great blue heron. It lives throughout much of North America. Some species of herons have two color forms, one of which is white. The great white heron is actually the white color form of the great blue heron. The green-backed heron and the Louisiana heron are colorful species that lack white forms.

Scientific Classification. Herons belong to the heron family, Ardeidae. The scientific name for the great blue heron is Ardea herodias. The green-backed heron is Butorides striatus, and the Louisiana heron is Egretta tricolor.